Te Whatu Ora Nurses Alarmed By Safe Staffing Pause

New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi
Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) members employed by Te Whatu Ora
are alarmed by Health New Zealand’s plans to pause a key
component of its safe staffing programme.

Te Whatu Ora
indicated they would pause calculations for the Care
Capacity Demand Management (CCDM) programme during
collective bargaining late last month.

CCDM calculates
the number of nurses needed based on how sick patients are
and how much nursing care they need.

Te Whatu Ora also
indicated their bargaining parameters are restricted to 1%
of total employee costs-.

Both issues will be
discussed at 62 urgent paid union meetings across the
country this week.

NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter
says the meeting will allow nurses, midwives, and health
care assistants to determine their next steps in the ongoing
bargaining process.

“Our members are fiercely
committed to caring for their patients. They don’t want to
see patients’ safety at risk because there are not enough
nurses on duty to give them the care they
need.

“Putting a pause on CCDM calculations is putting
a pause on patient safety.”

Nurses are also insulted
by Te Whatu Ora’s indication they would only be offered a
½% wage increase in the first year and up to a 1% wage
increase in the second year, he said.

“Nurses need a
pay rise that reflects at least the cost of living. Our
members deserve fair pay and conditions that recognise the
value of nurses and healthcare workers. With nurses flocking
to Australia, we need pay and conditions that help keep them
here.”

…………..

– Total employee costs
include salaries, penal rates, allowances, leave
entitlements, work related expenses and other expenses
including leave revaluations, ACC and
Superannuation.

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